Moving to Buckinghamshire for Grammar Schools

[bprad]

Hi All - this is the first time I am posting on a public forum - really need some guidance before we take the big decision to move house.

My daughter is appearing for 11+ in a year's time and we are keen to move to Buckinghamshire to increase her chances of getting into a Grammar school (there are no grammar schools where i currently live). Needed your guidance on the best areas to consider within Buckinghamshire for our move.

Our key criteria are:

1. Within the catchment area of a good Grammar School
2. Within the catchment area of an Outstanding / Good NON-Grammar School (just in case my daughter doesn't do well in her 11+)
3. My partner works in Newbury (and will need to continue to do so) and can't drive - so close to a railway station with easy accessibility to Newbury (so basically south buckinghamshire?)

Thanks a lot for your help on this!

Kind regards,
bprad

Op I don't know the area so can't help specifically, but you might want to include an idea of house budget so people can make appropriate suggestions.

Also it's worth bearing in mind that in a, grammar area, the non grammar schools are often at a disadvantage because all the most able students have been creamed off. So if you child might not get in, a good actual comprehensive might be better.

I speak from experience as I went to a grammar and my parents taught in the secondary moderns (as I imagine they are not called any more).

If course if your child is a shoe in then crack on and good luck to you.

@clary

Op I don't know the area so can't help specifically, but you might want to include an idea of house budget so people can make appropriate suggestions.

Also it's worth bearing in mind that in a, grammar area, the non grammar schools are often at a disadvantage because all the most able students have been creamed off. So if you child might not get in, a good actual comprehensive might be better.

I speak from experience as I went to a grammar and my parents taught in the secondary moderns (as I imagine they are not called any more).

If course if your child is a shoe in then crack on and good luck to you.

Thanks Clary that's very useful. I am looking at renting for now so am quite flexible on that front.

By the way I imagine you'd have to go into London and out again to get from Bucks to Newbury - bit of a pain. No doubt someone will correct me on that tho.

You may get more answers if you post on the the eleven plus form (elevenplusexams.co.uk) - there are sections for all the different counties. I don't know but I suspect there aren't many outstanding schools in South Bucks that aren't grammar schools (maybe the one in (?near) Marlow, but you have to live very close I think?). We live just over the border and there is a lot of cross border traffic. There are also rules about moving and giving up your previous home which I imagine will be on the Buckinghamshire council website.
If you live somewhere with oustanding schools already, I would stay where you are, tbh.

Dr challoners for girls is good. So is beconsfield girls grammar

The non grammar option wold be chalfonts community college. Which I haven't had links to for about 10 years but was a good school back then

The Amersham School is a secondary and is a great school. It has the best results of the secondary moderns in Bucks and nationally won 2 awards for being in the top 20% for non selective schools for gcse results and also for progress 8. That's pretty fantastic considering non selective schools include all the comprehensives in the country who haven't had kids creamed off to go to grammar. It's also smallish with 180 per year. It's also worth saying that during lockdown there was a full time table of online lessons each day.
To be in the catchment for both Dr Challoners Girls and Amersham you'd need to buy in Little Chalfont / Amersham I think.
However, for a really great comprehensive look at St Clement Danes in Chorleywood Hertfordshire. It is mostly non selective with a tight catchment but they do some selection for those outside catchment - academic and also a musical aptitude test.

Marlow will give you (Sir William) Borlase’s (Grammar School) - SWBGS and Great Marlow School. Both co-ed. SWBGS you will need to live within 3 miles IN catchment and GMS approx 5 miles IN catchment to get in. Up the A404 and you’re in M4 (J 8/9) so v easy to Newbury.

If your partner does not drive where you live will be a limiting factor as there are not a lot of trains that go across to Newbury from Bucks - I think that you should look at this first

You should also be wary of what you are signing up for. Not all bright children get in. It also does not suit some children.

If your partner works in Newbury, then why not look there? There are some fantastic secondary schools between Reading and in Newbury itself. Look at St. Barts, Park House, Kennet, and Willink. They are amazing comprehensives and if she’s very bright you could have a shot at Kendrick. The journey from Bucks to Newbury would be hideous. From Marlow it’s an hour and 48 minutes by train and that doesn’t include walking either end.

Ah I missed the train thing! It would be hideous from anywhere in Bucks I think. From Marlow you could get the bus to Reading and then get the train, or bus to Henley and train but not journeys I’d want to do!!

If you are renting are you keeping a house you own in Newbury? That could pose a problem as admissions would want tge house disposed of as it would probably be deemed commutable.

If you really really want Grammar Schools (and they are really really not the be all and end all) then why not look at Slough as much better journey to Newbury.

There's Kendrick in Reading, which should be doable from Newbury.

Is there a particular reason you're set on grammar schools? If your daughter doesn't get in then you'll be in a school that's maybe not that different to where she would have got in anyway and your partner will be having a miserable commute every day.

If you're not happy with the school choice where you are it might be better to find a really good school which is also convenient for your lifestyle.

I think Burnham would be your only feasible option. This is two trains to Newbury and would take somewhere between 45 - 90 mins each way. I don't know Burnham well but I believe the non grammar options are poor. Slough is also an option as it has grammar schools but I believe has the same issues with poor non grammar options and train changes.
Reading is your best bet but Kendrick is highly selective (top 5-10% of the cohort vs 25%-30% in Bucks.

(Sorry, your best bet in terms of a bearable commute is Reading)

You need to check residency criteria for allocating places. It may not be enough for her to pass 11+ if the address used is your current one, perhaps due to timing. This may also be an issue if you rent locally while still owning your current property.

If you currently own a property and are considering keeping it and renting nearby, you need to check the Bucks website as they clearly state that if you own another property within 20 miles of your rented property, that the application would be rejected (or treated as fraudulent).

I grew up in Newbury and now live in Bucks. It's very hard to get public transport between the two. There's a train from Bourne end to maidenhead, then maidenhead to Newbury (maybe changing at Reading). Also Grammar schools aren't the be all. Unless your child is top 10% they will be going to state, and there as good here as in Newbury. I went to normal school in Newbury (Shaw House (now trinity) and St Barts) and have the same career and earning potential as the grammar school children here (my husband and his contemporaries). The only difference is he did Latin and I didn't. Please feel free to ask if you have questions.

Unless your child is top 10% they will be going to state

As they will be if they go to grammar school. Grammar schools are state schools.

The whole-county system in Bucks is designed to identify the top c.30%, ability-wise, as suitable for grammar, not 10%. But this may be academic (pardon the pun) if the address which Bucks will consider for the applicant is too far from any grammar school for the application to be successful.

I second Marlow (I have a child at sir William Borlase) as Borlase is a good school and the local comprehensive Great Marlow is very well regarded.
I also had a child at Wycombe high which I don’t recommend and I pulled her out after one year - total exam sweat shop.
We almost chose Beaconsfield High but personally after our Wycombe High experience I think all girls grammars put too much pressure on the girls. Coed is better but sorry I do not recommend Burnham grammar.

Worth noting after previous poster mentioned Bourne End - unfort you can’t live in bourne end and be assured of getting into Borlase grammar anymore. You need to live in Marlow or Little Marlow - although little Marlow is not in catchment for the good comprehensive, Great Marlow. The Marlow train also goes to Maidenhead. Worth considering some parts of Cookham as do get into Borlase and Cookham is one stop from Maidenhead. Although I am not sure of Cookham comprehensives they appear to be ok.

Agree that it would take your dh practically all day to get to Newbury from a south Bucks grammar school hot spot.

Also bear in mind that property is horrendously expensive and I know of many, many people who moved to Bucks for the grammar schools and are left shaking their fists when their dcs fail to get in and they’re paying the mortgage on a £800k 3-bed 1950s semi-detatched.

You may want to consider Langley (Berks, but borders Bucks). It has a few very good grammar schools, and I believe Slough has one too which would also be in the catchment.

Langley is very well connected by train to London and Reading.

Alternatively The Ivers are in Bucks and fall under the catchment for Langley and Slough. Again there's rail connections to London and Reading.

we had a rude wake up call with ours for grammar.
Passed all the 11+ mocks, in the gifted and talented groups at school. Very very bright.

No idea what happened on the day, but they didn’t pass. School would have supported the appeal. But when you look at the fine detail it’s hard to find grounds to appeal. Ours has got higher marks in other exams than kids that did pass. It’s what happens on that one single day that counts.

It’s a lot of pressure on the day, and if that day they don’t manage it. that’s your plan scuppered.
I wouldn’t knowingly pick a grammar area with that level of uncertainty for your child.

Chesham ? You'd be in catchment for both Chesham Grammar (co-ed) and Dr Challoners High (girls grammar), + Chiltern Hills and Amersham school are both Ofsted 'good' non-passing secondaries.
I can't think of anywhere in South Bucks that you could get a direct train to Newbury though, you'd have to go in to London and out again from Paddington. I've just looked at the timetables and he could catch the met line from Chesham at 05:55 and get to Newbury at about half 8 ?!

@bprad seems to have vanished